It was on my Christmas to do list this year to make some mince pies completely from scratch. These simple and traditional festive treats are just the epitome of Christmas to me now. I am a total convert to home-made mince meat, once you have all the ingredients it is just so easy. I know this is a little late in the day now as Christmas is just around the corner (I mean it's Chrismas Eve Eve after all) and definitely the longer left the better but as long as you leave it at least a day it will still be delicious.
Ingredients
250g cooking apples
100g vegan suet
400g mixed dried fruit
200g dark muscavado sugar
1 orange
1 lemon
25g chopped mixed nuts
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp mixed spice
A pinch of nutmeg
3 tbsp brandy
Method
In a large bowl mix the suet, dried fruit, sugar, nuts and spices.
Peel and core the apples and chop finely or you can also grate them into the bowl.
Grate off the zest of the lemon and orange and squeeze out the juice. Add both zest and juice to the bowl along with the brandy and combine well.
Cover the bowl and leave it in the at least for a day before using but can be made well in advance and left in the fridge in some air-tight jars.
Now you've made your mince meat you can either buy some just roll or if you fancy going completely homemade here is a recipe that I used below, in the above photo I have used wholemeal flour.
Pastry
250g plain or wholemeal flour
110g icing sugar
110g soya butter
water
Method
Sift the flour and icing sugar into a bowl and add the soya butter.
Use your fingers to rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs - with no large lumps of butter remaining. Try to work quickly so that it doesn't become greasy.
Bring the mixture together to form a dough. You will find that you probably need to add cold water, start with a couple of tbsp measurements and judge by eye as you work it then once done wrap the dough in cling-film and chill atleast 10-15 minutes before using.
Pastry
250g plain or wholemeal flour
110g icing sugar
110g soya butter
water
Method
Sift the flour and icing sugar into a bowl and add the soya butter.
Use your fingers to rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs - with no large lumps of butter remaining. Try to work quickly so that it doesn't become greasy.
Bring the mixture together to form a dough. You will find that you probably need to add cold water, start with a couple of tbsp measurements and judge by eye as you work it then once done wrap the dough in cling-film and chill atleast 10-15 minutes before using.
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